I could see an alt coin that had a fixed value to gold as something some people may like. Fluctuations like BTC can have may cause issues with businesses. Although not Bitcoin itself. Having gold backed would make it centralized which is entirely opposite of what Bitcoin is about.

Look at how easily Egold was closed.

“…let us teach them that all who draw breath are of equal worth, and that those who seek to press heel upon the throat of liberty, will fall to the cry of FREEDOM!!!” – Spartacus, War of the Damned

Is Bitcoin popular as a currency or as a speculative investment/get rich quick platform?

If BTC was backed by gold would that limit its price?

I would argue that BTC has gained notoriety because it has surged in price. People view it as a quick way to get rich.

If the value of BTC was tied to gold, would it lose favor?

LOL, who keeps the gold that it is backed by, the government??? A private company? Can the government take the gold from the private company? Don't you have to trust the private company to hold your gold?

Bitcoin is completely usable as a currency when it is worth $10 million, gold prices change all the time, I don't understand how any of your concerns are valid.

"Each of us must choose which course of action we should take: education, conventional political action, or even peaceful civil disobedience to bring about necessary changes. But let it not be said that we did nothing." - Ron Paul

"Paul said "the wave of the future" is a coalition of anti-authoritarian progressive Democrats and libertarian Republicans in Congress opposed to domestic surveillance, opposed to starting new wars and in favor of ending the so-called War on Drugs."

I could see an alt coin that had a fixed value to gold as something some people may like. Fluctuations like BTC can have may cause issues with businesses. Although not Bitcoin itself. Having gold backed would make it centralized which is entirely opposite of what Bitcoin is about.

Look at how easily Egold was closed.

this has already been implemented with a special smart contract. the Bitshares platform allows anyone to issue assets that track another asset with 200% collateral in the Bitshares token BTS.

Many experts claim that this growth is the result of reduced hype surrounding the US dollar. They believe that this is more a case of the dollar depreciating than the price of bitcoin rising. Rigth now Bitcoin bitcoin is trading at $15,223.0 USD on foreign money rates

Crypto-analysts claim that the US Federal Reserve has printed so much money in the last 10 – 20 years that not even the regulator actually knows how much USD is in circulation around the globe.

At the end of 2008, the Fed announced they had opted for a “printing press” cure to the crisis as the first round of the regulator’s asset-purchasing program got underway. No one knows the current value of the M3 money supply in the US. Some members of Congress are long-time critics of the Fed and blame the regulator for turning the dollar into a bubble with no real backing.

Many experts claim that this growth is the result of reduced hype surrounding the US dollar. They believe that this is more a case of the dollar depreciating than the price of bitcoin rising. Rigth now Bitcoin bitcoin is trading at $15,223.0 USD on foreign money rates

Crypto-analysts claim that the US Federal Reserve has printed so much money in the last 10 – 20 years that not even the regulator actually knows how much USD is in circulation around the globe.

At the end of 2008, the Fed announced they had opted for a “printing press” cure to the crisis as the first round of the regulator’s asset-purchasing program got underway. No one knows the current value of the M3 money supply in the US. Some members of Congress are long-time critics of the Fed and blame the regulator for turning the dollar into a bubble with no real backing.

The point is bad money flows to good money.

Bitcoin is the best money one can buy. Buy before other people realize this.